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The Batman (film)
| writer = | story = | based on = | starring = | music = Michael Giacchino | cinematography = Greig Fraser | editing = William Hoy | studio = DC Films | distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures | released = | runtime = | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by DC Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it was developed as the tenth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and a reboot of the ''Batman'' film franchise. The film is directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Mattson Tomlin, and will star Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and John Turturro in supporting roles. After he was cast as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Ben Affleck began developing a DCEU Batman film with Geoff Johns, and was attached to direct, write, produce, and star. In January 2017, Affleck stepped down from directing and writing after struggling with the story and so he could focus on playing Batman. Reeves took over directorial and scripting duties the following month and reworked the story to focus on a younger Batman, hoping to emphasize the detective aspect of the character to a greater extent than previous films. Affleck stepped down from starring in January 2019, and Pattinson was cast the following May. Principal photography began in London, England in January 2020. The Batman is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2021. Cast * Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire socialite and heir of Wayne Enterprises who dedicates himself to protecting Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a highly trained, masked vigilante. Batman is around 30 years old in the film and neither an experienced superhero nor a beginning crime fighter. Pattinson had avoided major franchises since his Twilight films, wanting to avoid paparazzi and finding those roles dull, but signed on to play Batman because he found the character's lack of superpowers interesting. He described his Batman as flawed, unlike traditional comic book characters, and said his voice was inspired by his Lighthouse costar Willem Dafoe's voice in that film. In preparation, Pattinson trained in jiujitsu with Brazilian instructor and John Wick alumnus Rigan Machado. Christian Bale, who played Batman in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), supported Pattinson, encouraging him to "make role his own" and ignore critics. Pattinson also received advice from The Dark Knight Trilogy director, Christopher Nolan, whom he worked with on Tenet. Ben Affleck portrayed the character in previous DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films. * Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon: The Gotham City Police Department commissioner and an ally of Batman. Wright is the first actor of color to portray the character, who was previously portrayed by J. K. Simmons in Justice League (2017). * Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman: Kravitz, who previously voiced the character in The Lego Batman Movie (2017), was chosen over a number of actresses, including Zazie Beetz, Eiza González, and Alicia Vikander. Kravitz said that in contrast to Batman, who represents masculinity, Catwoman represents femininity, and "femininity represents power, and I think it's a different kind of power than masculine power... slightly more complicated, and softer, too." Kravitz drew inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer, who portrayed the character in Batman Returns (1992). * Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler * Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth: Jeremy Irons portrayed the character in previous DCEU films. * Colin Farrell as Oz Cobblepot / Penguin * John Turturro as Carmine Falcone Additionally, Jayme Lawson will portray Bella, a politician running for office in Gotham. Peter Sarsgaard has been cast in an undisclosed role. Production Development In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), with plans to play the role in at least three films. He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and later appeared in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017). In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck, and by July 2015, he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns. According to Deadline Hollywood, Affleck and Johns were expected to turn in a draft by October 2015, and that production would begin after Affleck finished work on Live by Night. The plot was to be set after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League; Affleck stated that the film would feature a "mostly original" story that used elements of comic books for inspiration, like what director Zack Snyder did with Batman v Superman. According to Robert Richardson, who was attached as cinematographer early in development, Affleck's script was set in Arkham Asylum and dealt with insanity. Affleck and Johns finished the first draft in March 2016, with Johns implying that the film would explore the death of Robin which was hinted at in Batman v Superman. At CinemaCon in April, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara confirmed the film was moving forward, with Affleck directing. In the following months, Jeremy Irons and Joe Manganiello were confirmed to appear—with Manganiello playing Deathstroke—and Jared Leto expressed interest in reprising his role as the Joker from Suicide Squad. Affleck revealed the title of the film was The Batman in October, and in December he said filming was on track to begin in mid-2017 for a release date in 2018. That month, a planned Justice League sequel was delayed to accommodate The Batman. However, in January 2017, Affleck said the film had no script and that he may end up not directing it. While Affleck reaffirmed his commitment to direct in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, by the end of the month he decided to step down; nonetheless, he stated he would still star and produce. By this point, Chris Terrio had turned in a rewrite of the script. Affleck initially cited his intentions to step down as director were to focus more on starring as Batman, later acknowledging that after various attempts to get the script where he wanted it, it simply became "time to let someone else have a shot at it". Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter added that Affleck's film was "sidelined" after Warner Bros. began re-evaluating its approach to superhero films. Matt Ross, Ridley Scott, and Fede Álvarez were considered to replace Affleck, before Matt Reeves joined to direct and produce in February 2017, and production was delayed until 2018 so he could complete War for the Planet of the Apes. By March, Reeves had begun working on a completely new script, and would not meet potential actors until at least July. Reeves stated in an interview that the film would feature "an almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman" emphasizing the heart and mind of the character and taking inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock. Reeves also reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier in his career as a vigilante, and said it would explore the detective aspect of the character to a greater extent than previous films. In August, Reeves said the film would still take place within the DCEU, but that "it wouldn't be filled with cameos servicing other stories". After Reeves began rewriting the script, Manganiello said he was unsure if Deathstroke would still appear. In August 2018, Reeves appeared on a Television Critics Association panel and revealed many details about the film. He confirmed that The Batman would be an original, noir-driven story and not an origin story. He also revealed that the script was nearing completion and that the film's connections to the DCEU would be minimal but present. Reeves said that he was "working on getting our draft in the next couple of weeks and things are progressing," hoping to begin production in early-to-mid 2019. Reeves submitted his first draft to Warner Bros. the following month. Affleck's involvement was in doubt; Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter reported in July 2017 that Warner Bros. was looking to replace him. This was strengthened by further reports indicating that Reeves wanted a younger actor to play Batman. In August 2018, Affleck went to rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, casting further doubt that he would be reprising his role. In January 2019, Warner Bros. set a June 25, 2021 release date for The Batman, and Affleck confirmed that he was departing. Pre-production (pictured in 2017) was cast to replace Affleck in May 2019]] By May 2019, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were on the shortlist to replace Affleck as Batman, Pattinson being the frontrunner. Reeves began to consider Pattinson early in development, but was unsure if he would want to take the part and did not contact him. Pattinson's avoidance of "big studio franchise films" meant he had not appeared in any of rival Marvel Studios' projects, something that made him desirable to Warner Bros. Hoult was the other major contender for the role. While Hoult had appeared in the Marvel Comics-based X-Men films, those did not take place in Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, as Kit noted, "Hoult spent large chunks of those movies unrecognizable" due to his makeup. Reeves "spent hours poring over the two actors' work", and in April met with them both. By May 20, they were the only contenders, and both flew to Burbank, California for a screen test. Reeves, who "wanted very specific things" for the role, chose Pattinson, and on May 31 Pattinson was cast. News of Pattinson's casting leaked shortly before he screen-tested, with Pattinson recalling: "I was fucking furious. Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing." The casting was also met with backlash from Batman fans—with some setting up a Change.org petition to have it reversed—but Pattinson said he found responses "less vitriolic than I was expecting ... it's much more fun when you're an underdog. There's no expectation of you." In July, Greig Fraser joined the film as cinematographer. Jeffrey Wright entered negotiations to play James Gordon in September, and Jonah Hill entered negotiations to play either the Riddler or the Penguin. In October, Wright was cast, but Hill exited negotiations. According to Variety Justin Kroll, Hill wanted to be paid $10 million—more than double the amount that Pattinson would make—while Kit wrote that Warner Bros. and Hill could not decide which role he would take. Additionally, Zoë Kravitz was cast as Selina Kyle / Catwoman (reprising her role from 2017's The Lego Batman Movie) following a screen test with Pattinson; Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, and Eiza González also auditioned for the role. Paul Dano was cast as the Riddler shortly afterward. In November, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and John Turturro were cast as Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone, respectively. Jayme Lawson also joined the cast. In December, Peter Sarsgaard was cast in an undisclosed role. Filming Principal photography began in January 2020 in London, England. Music In October 2019, Reeves announced that his frequent collaborator Michael Giacchino would be composing the film's score. Later that month, Giacchino confirmed that he had already finished writing the main theme because he was so excited to do so. Release The Batman is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on June 25, 2021. Future The Batman is intended to be the first of a Batman film trilogy. In November 2019, Kroll and Brent Lang of Variety reported that key cast members are signed on to reprise their roles in future DC films. References }} External links * Category:2020s action thriller films Category:2020s superhero films Category:2021 films Category:American detective films Category:American films Category:American superhero films Category:American vigilante films Category:Batman films Category:DC Extended Universe films Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Matt Reeves Category:Film scores by Michael Giacchino Category:Films shot in London Category:Reboot films Category:Upcoming films Category:Warner Bros. films